It was 26 years

In two quick simple decisions John Key transformed this year’s election, turning the tables on his opponents.

Setting the election date for November 26 was signalled well in advance. But I can’t remember any time when an incumbent prime minister didn’t keep the opposition (and the country) guessing on an election date right up until he or she popped up to the Governor-General to resign.

This one small perk of power was to keep your opposition off guard about dates. As someone who has had to run a few campaigns, it matters.

It was a bold decision and one that took the fight directly to Labour.

But the real stinger that deserves high praise was Key’s kneecapping of National nemesis Winston Peters.

Over recent months Peters has been slowly but consistently gaining support in the polls to the point where he could quite possibly once again have become the kingmaker in any post-election negotiations.

In one swipe Key has almost certainly dealt Peters a mortal blow. More importantly he got Goff as well. It’s a bold and gutsy move. Key made his fortune by taking calculated risks and he’s made what I suspect is a winning chess move.

It was a move that a large portion of National’s support base and a few other as well were very pleased with. Winston Peters is to quote Helen Clark out of context, cancerous and corrosive. He should take his pensions…yes heÂ hasÂ two…and bugger off. There is no place in New Zealand anymore for un-reconstituted Muldoonists.

Key is positioning himself as the forward-looking positive leader and Goff is saddled with the old bodgie. Given the fact Goff was first in cabinet 36 years ago, to say he’s looking a bit tired is an understatement.

Uhmmm…Matt...it was 26 years ago he first made cabinet…though it still is a lifetime ago. Which is probably why the Goffice is contemplateing the following makeover. This should help Labour grab some of Winston’s demographic.

The reason Key is going for the election date on the very last day practically possible is the economy. Its tanking. and its not improving in the next 6 months. So hes hoping for a RWC bounce.
Will the voters take to a message based on an economy 5% smaller per head than when he took over.
Thats when confusion marketing comes in. Put on the dancing shoes like its NZs Got Talent and make sure your team push any other economic stories off the news.
The aspirational message is back, inspite of it being trashed in the last 2 years since wishful thinking works a dream

gaskranken

Is that right mediafart? What stupid logic. Why if the economy is going to tank in the next six months would you put yourself at a complete strategical disadvantage by announcing your election date this early?

Wouldn’t matter if voters were 15% worse off there is still no way they are gonna opt for Goof-E as the preferred choice.

Only wishful thinking going on in NZ politics at the moment is Goof-E thinking he is going to form some sort of 3 party triad with him as the head. Ain’t gonna happen in my lifetime or yours fart.

http://zerorocketlaunchers.blogspot.com/ Mr. Infinity

The left wants the economy to tank, and it isn’t tanking, it’s growing. It’s growing ridiculously slowly, but there’s a lot of Labour mess to clean up. Remember Labour’s policies took us into recession a year before the rest of the world, to put that in perspective Key would still have to deal with the shit they left behind if they world economy hadn’t tanked, but it did too.

Also, ‘tart, perhaps voters will prefer having 9% more money than they did under Labour, a nine percent they got in two years, in a bad economy, whereas Labour could only get a 3% increase in a great economy.